Siena softball hangs on to upend UAlbany
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The wins keep piling on for Siena softball; this time in the fashion of local bragging rights. The Saints marched onto the campus of crosstown rival UAlbany and defeated the Great Danes, 3-2, Thursday afternoon for a seventh consecutive win.
Siena improved to 22-14 overall with the victory, while UAlbany dropped to 15-16.
A quick opening two frames, starting pitcher Gracie Goewey retired the first six Great Danes in order - two of which by strikeout. On the flip side, Chloe Cummings accounted for Siena’s lone hit over the first two frames, as the game moved into the third scoreless.
The Great Danes threatened to open the bottom of the third after putting their first two batters on base. However, Goewey retired the next three to strand the pair and keep the game even moving into the fourth.
Siena came back with the first run of the game in the ensuing half inning. With Cummings on third and two away, Gianna DiMeglio singled through the left side of the infield to bring in Cummings. The Saints tacked on two more in the top of the fifth when Cali DeLawder stepped in for a pinch-hit, two-run home run to straightaway center to extend the lead to 3-0.
DeLawder’s home run came in handy, as the Great Danes got two runs back in the bottom half of the fifth on a throwing error and an RBI single, making it a 3-2 contest. UAlbany looked to even the game in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded and two away, but Goewey battled back from a 2-0 deficit in the count to force an inning-ending groundout to keep the Saints up 3-2 moving into the seventh.
The Saints went quietly in the seventh, while the Great Danes put the tying runner on second with one out in the bottom half. However, just as she had done all game, Goewey worked out of the jam by retiring the following two batters to secure the win and local bragging rights.
Goewey struck out nine batters in what was her second consecutive complete game, allowing just one earned run to secure her third win of the season.
Siena returns to action Friday to host Marist for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.